Digimon Explorers
by J Weekley
Summary: (Ep. 03 uploaded) Original Universe. A group of human explorers and their Digimon partners get caught in a race to find five legendary crsytals before the Dark Lords of the Digital World can.
1. Episode 01: The Journey Begins

Okay, a little background. First thing to realize, this takes   
place in an original universe. Second, yes, I know the Gateways sound   
like Stargates in the description, it's been pointed out enough times.   
Third, this is no kiddy story. I'll just leave it at that. (Don't   
worry, it's still somewhere in the PG-13 range. I think). Fourth, I   
don't care if a Digimon was a hero or villain in any of the previous   
series. They're in my hands now. (Insert maniacal laughter here).   
Fifth, I'm sorry if some of episode one seems like "beginning of the   
RPG"-type newbie exposition, but I wanted to get some of that   
establishment out of the way so I could concentrate on the story itself   
from now on. Finally, I've made up a few original Digimon, especially for   
some of the more powerful ones, so if you come across one you don't   
know, chances are good that's the reason.  
-----  
  
DIGIMON EXPLORERS  
Episode 01: The Journey Begins  
by J Weekley  
  
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Story copyright 2003 by J Weekley. Digimon is the property of Toei and Bandai. Used without permission.  
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By the early part of the twenty-first century, much of the world could be considered to have been explored. True, modern man may not have gone everywhere on land, but it's safe to assume some ancient culture had visited there at one time or another. Then there were the ages before man, when the great prehistoric beasts wandered around the globe. With this taken into account, it could be said that all of the world's land and much of its oceans had been explored at some time. When thinking like this, one realizes that, besides the still-unknown depths of the oceans, there was nothing left to explore.  
  
At least, until the Gateways came along.  
  
The first Gateway appeared very suddenly, in the center of Tokyo, in the middle of rush hour. Needless to say, a panic quickly ensued. This was heightened when two large, dinosaur-like creatures emerged and started fighting throughout the city, leaving a path of destruction in their wake. While this didn't seem too unusual (at least to someone who's seen one too many monster flicks), it was quite inconvenient for local businesses and residents. After an hour, the two creatures had succeeded in vaporizing each other, but the Gateway remained.  
  
The Gateway was a large stone object, about fifty feet tall. The main part was a large circle resting within a trapezoidal base. The circle was covered in several rows of strange symbols. There wasn't any kind of visual energy field within the circle, but instead a type of clear distortion which showed through to the other side of street, but gave no clue as to what the place the Gateway led to looked like. The only way to see it would be to actually go there.  
  
The first expedition was assembled in two days. It consisted mainly of scientists, accompanied by a team of specially-trained police officers. Bravely, they stepped through. The world they encountered was very much like the one they had left, only with considerably less urban development. There were also no humans. Instead, the world was populated by several races of creatures that called themselves Digital Monsters. It was these first Japanese explorers who shortened the name into four simple katakana characters: de ji mo n: Digimon. The Digimon called their world the Digital World, and it existed in a pocket dimension that connected to the human world through computers and the Gateways. Soon, other Gateways began to appear throughout both worlds. Shortly after that, certain humans and Digimon began to form partnerships, as if supernaturally drawn together.  
  
It wasn't long before travel between the human world and the Digital World was common place. There was the occasional tourist, but most visitors fell into four basic groups. The scientists who were trying to study how the Digimon and the Digital World worked. The merchants who would bring goods between the two worlds. The outlaws looking for an escape from their pursuers. Finally, there were the explorers, wanderers tied to no one. They had found in this new world a place where regions still remained undiscovered, some seemingly since the beginning of time. These were the most-seen figures in the Digital World. They would open up whole new areas to the other groups, often with little or no reward.  
  
This is the way it has been for fifteen years.  
  
*****  
  
The life of an explorer was well known to be a hard one, but it offered freedom in a way that many other professions couldn't. That was what first attracted Yuusuke to the idea. Freedom anyplace would be better than the practical imprisonment he was forced to live in for the past eight years. Yuusuke wasn't sure on all the details, but his father, who he had lived with in Oregon, was a college professor who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up getting accused and convicted of a dean's murder. As he had no other living relatives, Yuusuke was sent across the country to live with a foster family in New York. If anyone deserved to go to jail, it was these people. They couldn't stand the Japanese, and treated Yuusuke like he was some kind of slave, barely taking care of his basic needs. He still wasn't sure how he ended up with them in the first place. However, none of that would soon matter.  
  
The night before, Yuusuke had stolen about three hundred dollars from them while they slept, packed some spare clothes in his backpack, and ran away as fast as he could. He had convinced one of his friends at school to get him a copy of the Gateway rail schedule. One of the Gateways had appeared in a subway tunnel, and there were certain times of the month when the train would run through into a station in the Digital World. Tickets were a hundred dollars each--the most expensive price of Digital World travel on earth--but it was worth the price to Yuusuke. After wandering the streets of New York for a night, Yuusuke arrived at the subway station that ran the Digital Gateway Railway. Trying not to look too suspicious, he walked up to the counter and bought a one-way ticket. The salesperson, a kindly-looking old lady, gave him a sad look. Apparently, she had seen other runaways going to the Digital World before, but she didn't say anything, for which he was grateful. He waited in the station lobby until it was time to board the train.  
  
The railcar he was in was spotlessly clean, and there were very few others in there with him. All of them were in business suits, two with sample cases--merchants trying to make deals with the Digimon. In fact, one of the merchants had a Digimon with him, his partner. Unfortunately, Yuusuke never had time to study the different Digimon races, so he wasn't sure what kind of a Digimon it was, and he didn't want to embarrass himself by asking. It was reptilian, and resembled something of a small Tyrannosaurus with yellow skin and a large flat nose. Before he had anymore time to think about it, though, the train jolted and started to move off. 'This is it; this is really happening,' Yuusuke thought. He was now free! He looked at his watch. By now, his "parents" would just be waking up, and wondering why he hasn't started making them breakfast yet. They would slam open the door to his room only to find it empty, save for a note with a lovely drawing Yuusuke made of himself giving them the middle finger and telling them in no uncertain terms to go screw themselves. He would have loved to see their faces at that moment, but some sacrifices had to be made. The moment that train started moving, it could not be stopped. He was free. He had no worries about police chasing after him; human police had no authority in the Digital World, except for a few specific cases. Runaways to the Digital World were too common to bother keeping track of them or trying to force them to come back. The life he chose from now on would be entirely up to him.  
  
Without knowing it, Yuusuke had been continuing to stare at the Digimon, and his partner noticed. Yuusuke quickly looked away, but the guy just nudged the Digimon and pointed at Yuusuke. Together, they walked over to him. "Hi," the Digimon said.  
  
Yuusuke was a bit nervous. "Hi," he answered quietly.  
  
The guy sat down a few seats away from Yuusuke. "First time to the Digital World?" he asked.  
  
Yuusuke just nodded.  
  
"Runaway?"  
  
Yuusuke looked away.  
  
"Hey, it's nothing to be embarrassed about," the guy said. "I started out the same way. Heck, I think most of us Second Geners did. Couldn't stand it at home, a new Gateway had just appeared, and I took advantage of it. Glad I did, too. If I hadn't, I probably would never have met Agumon." He patted the Digimon's back.  
  
"Agumon, huh?" Yuusuke said.  
  
The Digimon nodded.  
  
"So, have any plans?" the guy asked.  
  
"I'd like to be an explorer," Yuusuke answered, starting to get a little less nervous with the guy.  
  
The guy just smiled, "Ah, yes. Everybody does when they first come. That was my plan until I ran into a businessman from London who wanted to set up shop in the Digital World. He ended up getting far more than he bargained for, as he's now got stores in the Digital World and in the US. I work between Upload City and New York. Heh, looks like I got more than I bargained for, too. Never saw myself ending up being a businessman."  
  
"Neither did I," Agumon added.  
  
"Life's just funny that way," the guy said.  
  
Just then, some green lights flashed and a tone played over the train's loudspeakers, followed by a message. "Now approaching the Gateway. Those passengers with little experience passing through the dimensional shift may experience some slight dizziness. It is nothing serious and will pass by the time we arrive at Upload City Central Station. Thank you for riding the Digital Gateway Railway."  
  
With a flash of light, the train entered the Gateway. The ride suddenly became very bumpy as the train passed through. Outside, streams of light in various colors flashed by. Yuusuke did feel a little bit dizzy, but it wasn't too bad. It felt like the train was quickly gaining speed, and it probably was. The vibrations of the train against the tracks continued to get faster and faster, until with another flash of light, they cleared the other side of the Gateway, and the train slowed down to its normal speed. Yuusuke was feeling better already. Within a minute, they had pulled up to Upload City Central. Yuusuke and the other man stood up to leave, Agumon following close behind.  
  
"Well, good luck, kid," the guy said.  
  
"Thanks," Yuusuke said.  
  
"Oh, by the way, I never did get your name," the guy said. He held out his hand. "Alex Clearwater."  
  
"Yuusuke. Yuusuke Toriyama," he answered, taking Alex's hand.  
  
"See you around, then."  
  
They started to walk off when Alex spoke up again. "Yuusuke!" Yuusuke turned around. "Just remember, the life of an explorer can be a hard one. But if you manage to find yourself a good partner, you never know how well you'll succeed."  
  
"Thanks again," Yuusuke said, smiling, then walked off into the main lobby of the station.  
  
Yuusuke had heard that Upload City Central was one of the busiest stations in the Digital World, as it took traffic from New York, Miami, London, and Paris, the top four human world trading cities, as well as being a hub for nearly two-thirds of the Digital World railways. However, he simply wasn't prepared for the scale of the station. Speckled stone tiles covered the floors all around. Marble columns rose as far as the eye could see to the glass ceiling. Tracks for different lines rose hundreds of feet in the air, and fell down to seemingly bottomless levels. The ground had a constant vibration of so many trains running on those tracks, stopping briefly before moving on. Hundreds of thousands of people--both human and Digimon--wandered through the main lobby, a room which was itself the size of a small town. Yuusuke couldn't help himself. He stopped in the middle of the lobby and stared at everything. The people moving about walked around him, paying no attention to the newcomer. Yuusuke's mouth bobbed up and down, speechless. The enormity of this new world was just beginning to reach him. He had never experienced anything this big before. It seemed overwhelming, but he was determined to make it. Taking a deep breath, he began to walk forward. He then stopped a Digimon that didn't look too busy and asked, "Excuse me, where's a currency conversion station?"  
  
"There's one by every exit. Can't miss 'em," the Digimon said before walking off.  
  
"Thanks," Yuusuke called out to him, but the Digimon didn't seem to hear. Shrugging, Yuusuke walked off towards one of the exits, slipping through the crowds.  
  
After a few minutes, the exit was in sight. Yuusuke looked around, trying to find the conversion station. It was difficult with all the people around, but he soon spotted it off to his left. Surprisingly, there wasn't a line, and Yuusuke walked right up to the booth. A Digimon was inside. Or, at least Yuusuke thought it was a Digimon. It looked just like a big cracked egg with two eyes. However, it was wearing a name badge that said "Digitamamon," so Yuusuke decided it was worth a try.  
  
"What can I do for ya, kid?" the Digitamamon asked.  
  
Yuusuke held up the last two hundred dollars. "Conversion from dollars," he said.  
  
"Put it in the bin," Digitamamon said unemotionally. Yuusuke did as he was told, and slipped the dollar bills in a small cabinet that slid back into the booth just as he pulled his hand out. "Current exchange rate is 1.25 Digis per dollar."  
  
"Okay," Yuusuke said. A moment later, the cabinet slip open again, with about thirty coins of various sizes and colors having replaced the dollars he had come here with. Taking the money, Yuusuke said, "Thanks."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, no problem," Digitamamon said, waving Yuusuke off.  
  
Pocketing his money, Yuusuke started off again for the exit. When he reached the threshold, he paused. It was about to be his first true step into a new world and a new life. He knew it sounded crazy, but he wanted to cherish this moment. Once again taking a deep breath, Yuusuke stepped forward through the door.  
  
He was there.  
  
He was in the Digital World.  
  
*****  
  
Yuusuke could hardly keep his jaw up as he wandered through the streets of Upload City. All around him, buildings of brick, marble, glass, and steel rose into the sky. There was the normal morning hustle of people going to work, with pedestrians and bicycles roaming on the wide walkways, as cars weren't allowed to be imported from the human world. Occasionally a moped would scoot by, but that was the extent of human motor vehicles in this world. Some high-pitched squealing was Yuusuke's only warning as a group of children ran past him, followed by some baby Digimon. All were on the way to school.  
  
Yuusuke couldn't help but smile. He couldn't remember being that carefree, but he knew he had to have been, back in Oregon when he lived with his father. He sighed at the memory. If he ever went back to human world, he would have to check on his father. His foster parents never told Yuusuke what had become of him, and he couldn't find anything about the case in the library's records.  
  
He shook his head. 'No,' he thought. They were issues that he would have to resolve someday, but not now. Now, he would just concentrate on living in this new world and enjoying his new-found freedom. Clutching the paper bag that held the blanket he had just bought, Yuusuke held his head up high and walked down the streets of Upload City.  
  
He was passing through a cluster of relatively short stone buildings when a voice called out from an alley. "Hey, kid! In here."  
  
Yuusuke stopped and looked down the alley. Out of the shadows fluttered a small Digimon. It looked like some kind of black fuzz ball with clawed feet and a mask that covered most of its body. "You're new here, aren't you?" it asked.  
  
"You could say that," Yuusuke answered.  
  
"Well, then," the Digimon performed a mock bow, "allow me to offer my services. This world can get quite dangerous, and it would bad if you went forth without *protection*. Protection which I can offer you."  
  
Yuusuke's face was blank. "The only danger I see around here is you."  
  
"Oh, come on, now. I only make this sort of offer to my friends. You *do* want to be my friend, right?"  
  
"No," Yuusuke answered. "And I don't think he does, either."  
  
The Digimon's eyes popped up. "Huh?"  
  
From the shadows of the alley, an arm swung down, chopping the little Digimon and knocking him to the ground. A leg appeared and pinned him there. The body of a man followed the appendages, crouching low the to Digimon. He was tall and strong, dressed in a loose-fitting cotton sweater and khaki pants. From under a top of spiky brown hair, two dark blue eyes peered suspiciously at the Digimon. "Pico Devimon," the man said, in mock cordiality.  
  
Pico Devimon sweatdropped. "Heh. Hi, Ryan. Long time no see."  
  
"What have I told you about hustling the newcomers?"  
  
"Aw, come on. Ever since you humans came along, this town's been nothing but money, money, money. A guy's gotta make a living, y'know."  
  
"Oh," the man said, standing up. "But there are other things you can do." He smiled. "Professional sports, perhaps." Pico Devimon shrieked and tried frantically to get out from under the man's boot. Unmoving, the man continued. "Ever hear of something called American Football?"  
  
Pico Devimon screamed. "Nononononono! Not the punt! Not the punt!"  
  
Too late. Faster than Yuusuke could see, the man swept up Pico Devimon, taping his wings and feet together in one move. He tossed the little Digimon into the air, and let him drop for a second before kicking out. Pico Devimon screamed at the impact, and was sent flying up, spinning in the air towards the roof of the building across the street. The Digimon flew right between twin antennae, and right past a pink bird Digimon that held up its arms and said, "It's good!"  
  
The man smirked as he watched the Digimon fly off, then looked down at Yuusuke. "You okay, kid?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Yuusuke answered.  
  
"Good. That guy never learns. Always goes after the new people. He's probably been following you since you left the station. And you probably won't be the last one he bugs today. At least it'll take him a while to get out of the duct tape. He's not too strong, but you probably don't want to be around when he breaks out."  
  
"Okay."  
  
The man looked at Yuusuke curiously. "So, you what brings you to the Digital World?"  
  
"Well, I'd like to be an explorer, but I don't really know that much about this place," Yuusuke admitted.  
  
"Hm. Well, I suppose that someone could show you the basics." The man held out his hand. "What's your name, kid?"  
  
Yuusuke took the man's hand. "Yuusuke Toriyama."  
  
"Ryan Cohen."  
  
Yuusuke gasped. "*The* Ryan Cohen?!"  
  
Ryan sighed, "Yep, that's me."  
  
"Wow! I don't know much about the Digital World, but I *have* heard about you! You're pretty famous in the human world."  
  
Ryan looked away, "Yeah, I know. That's why I tend to go back as little as possible."  
  
Releasing Ryan's hand, Yuusuke said, "Ah. Don't like the fame, huh?"  
  
"Never have. I make one big discovery ten years ago, and suddenly I'm known the worlds over. It's not for me." He looked back at Yuusuke. "Still, there's something about you. Can't quite place it..." He shrugged. "Ah, what the hell. I'm on my way to an offer, want to join me? Consider it some... on the job training."  
  
Yuusuke couldn't believe it. "Really?!"  
  
"Sure, why not?" Ryan answered.  
  
"Thanks so much!"  
  
"No problem," Ryan said. He then looked at Yuusuke's bag. "Whatcha got there?"  
  
"Hm?" Yuusuke said, then realized what Ryan was talking about. "Oh, this? I bought a blanket. Figured it'd be useful. Can't afford hotel rooms all the time, right?"  
  
Ryan stroked his unshaven chin thoughtfully. "Good thinking. Though I would've also bought a towel. Well, we'll be passing through a market on the way to the job, so you can pick one up there. And a D-Cell."  
  
"D-Cell?" Yuusuke asked.  
  
Ryan reached into a pocket and pulled out a gold and black rectangular device. It had a small antenna and a display screen on the front. "D-Cell," he explained. "Really, it's nothing more than a glorified cell phone. Each one looks different. It's a one-time purchase, so the number's good forever, and since there're no phone companies here, they can't control it, so you can use it for free. Aside from communications, there's also a built-in GPS with an encyclopedia feature. However, the guide's incomplete. Explorers, like myself, help the D-Cell makers by providing updates of any new information we find. If you get a Digimon partner, it'll also be the link between you two." He looked at his watch. "Oh. Better get going. Come on," he beckoned to Yuusuke as he walked off down the street.  
  
Yuusuke stared after him for a moment. 'Towels? Updating electronic guide books?' He sighed, then thought, 'Lead the way, Ford,' before running after him.  
  
Ryan led Yuusuke down several winding streets, whistling all the way. He would wave to people he knew as they passed. As they passed across from a school, a young teacher watching the gates winked and waved her hand rather enthusiastically. Ryan ducked his head into his chest and hurried past. Yuusuke struggled to keep up. "Old girlfriend?" he was tempted to ask, but thought it better to just mind his own business.  
  
Ryan turned down another side street. Even before he reached it, Yuusuke could hear the noise from around the corner. It sounded like hundreds--thousands of voices were all speaking at once. Yuusuke turned the corner. Ryan was standing there waiting for him. "Impressive?" he asked.  
  
All Yuusuke could do was nod. Before him, dozens of covered pavilions stretched far back into the street. Humans and Digimon all wandered around under them, choosing goods and haggling over the prices. Parents buying food and other necessities were struggling to keep their children from running off to the toy stands. Different food carts were being pushed around, trying to navigate through the crowd. At least two bands were playing somewhere in the distance.  
  
"Welcome to the Upload City Marketplace, but most of us know it as the Documents Folder."  
  
Yuusuke was still speechless, but made a note to expect several more computer refences as time went on. "Come on," Ryan said, starting to walk toward the market. "The shop we're looking for is over here."  
  
Yuusuke walked behind him, trying to not get pushed around in the crowd. He held his backback tightly over his chest; he wasn't taking any chances that that Pico Devimon guy had some friends who might try to steal something from him. He was so concerned with looking around nervously that he hadn't noticed Ryan had stopped until he bumped into him.  
  
"Sorry," Yuusuke said.  
  
"Don't worry about it."  
  
Yuusuke looked at the table that he was standing next to. Its entire surface was covered with hundreds of D-Cells, and every single one of them was different in some way, whether it was the colors or markings. "Pick one out," Ryan said.  
  
"Um, how much are they?"  
  
"Ten Digis," answered a cat-like Digimon on the other side of the table. Its paws were covered by striped gloves that ended in three pointed claws. Somehow, Yuusuke felt a bit safer around this Digimon. He also didn't want to think about what those claws could do to any shoplifter.  
  
He looked down at the table and started to scan over the D-Cells. He couldn't seem to find one that he really liked. What would happen if he couldn't choose one? Were there other D-Cell shops with bigger selections? He had almost looked over the entire table when one of them caught his eye. He picked it up. It was blue with a white cross design that went over the front and back. In the center of the cross under the display screen was a blue star. Just as he brought it closer to get a better look, the screen suddenly activated. Yuusuke jumped back and nearly dropped the D-Cell. Ryan and the Digimon just smiled.  
  
"Wow, a perfect match on the first try," Ryan said. "Not bad, kid."  
  
The Digimon held out its paw. Yuusuke just stared at it for a second while his brain caught up with what was going on. Blinking, he came back to his senses. He reached in his pocket and pulled out ten Digis.  
  
The Digimon smiled. "Thanks for coming. Hope you don't have to stop by again anytime soon."  
  
As they were walking away, Yuusuke said, "What was that all about?"  
  
"She means she hopes you never break or lose it and have to get a new one. I've heard that finding a second match is pretty difficult."  
  
"Ah."  
  
With that, Yuusuke and Ryan left the market and headed further into the center of town. Along the way, Yuusuke told his new mentor about his life, how his father was wrongly convicted of murder, how his foster parents abused him, and how he had been planning to run away for three years. Ryan listened to it all sympathetically, but could not relate as his childhood had been relatively gentle, until his own parents died in a car crash while on vacation in Tokyo. Alone and scared, Ryan had wandered through the Gateway and became one of the first explorers. Over the years, he had gained many friends both human and Digimon, but he had never found a partner. "I'm one of the twenty-five percent, I guess," he said. "There's a population proportion of about seventy-five percent Digimon to humans. That means that twenty-five percent of the humans who come to the Digital World will never have a partner. They were never meant to. It's nothing to be ashamed of, but sometimes having a partner does help. You lend each other your strengths and grow together."  
  
"Think I'll have a partner?" Yuusuke asked.  
  
Ryan shrugged. "Never know until it happens."  
  
They came to a stop in front of a tall glass-covered building. A bronze sign on the wall read "Lamarc Enterprises."  
  
Ryan smiled. "We're here."  
  
*****  
  
Yuusuke could think of only two words to describe Maxwell Lamarc: "Big," and "Friendly." Lamarc was a tall, round man who looked to be in his early fifties. He was balding, had a big nose, and two small patches of hair on either side of his upper lip that must have passed for a mustache. His face was deeply creased with wrinkles from years of happiness. When he spoke, it was with a loud, slightly grainy voice. "Never thought I'd see the day when Ryan Cohen takes on an apprentice," he said as he waddled across his gloriously decorated office to a mini bar on the far wall. "I guess times *do* change," he said, pouring some drinks and putting them on a tray.  
  
Carrying the tray, he waddled back to where Yuusuke and Ryan were sitting on a plush, red velvet-covered couch. Lamarc handed them each a glass before putting the tray on a coffee table and plopping into an equally-plush chair across from them. "You're how old, son?" Lamarc asked Yuusuke.  
  
"Fifteen," Yuusuke answered, a little nervously.  
  
Lamarc waved his hand in dismissal, "Ah, you're old enough. Keep the brandy." He took a sip from his own glass while Yuusuke just smiled, this time *quite* nervously.  
  
Ryan noticed the smile and leaned over, whispering in Yuusuke's ear, "Never drank?"  
  
Yuusuke shook his head.  
  
"It'll burn," Ryan said, sitting up straight again.  
  
Lamarc put his half-emptied glass on the tray, then leaned forward towards them. "Now, gentlemen, to business. We may have found it." As he spoke, a small twinkle in his eye began to glow more profoundly. "Three days ago, COMSAT picked up an unusual energy spike about a thousand miles south of us."  
  
Lamarc gave a moment for those words to sink in. To Yuusuke, they meant nothing, but Ryan's jaw suddenly slackened and his eyes went wide. "Zhuqiao...?" he asked silently.  
  
"Precisely," Lamarc answered with a grin.  
  
"Um..." Yuusuke started to ask. Lamarc and Ryan looked at him. "He doesn't know?" Lamarc asked.  
  
"He's been... sheltered," Ryan answered.  
  
"Understatement," Yuusuke added.  
  
Lamarc's grin returned. "Kid, you've come to the Digital World in time to become a part of history! After years of searching, we may have finally found the greatest Digimon artifacts of all time!"  
  
Ryan was in shock. "I can't believe this. If it really is... God, we'll finally have the proper energy signature. The others will show up immediately."  
  
"Believe it, Mr. Cohen," Lamarc said, picking up his glass. "We'll possess them all before the Dark Lords have a chance to get their filthy claws on them. The Five Crystals are as good as found!"  
  
"Hear, hear!" Ryan said, leaping to his feet and bringing his own glass up. "Hear, hear," Yuusuke cluelessly agreed, and the three clanked their glasses together and drained them.  
  
Ryan and Lamarc looked at each other with burning pride.  
  
Yuusuke was trying to hide that the only thing burning in him was his throat.  
  
*****  
  
Two hours later, Yuusuke found himself back in Upload City Central waiting for a southbound express. He sat at a table in one of the station's numerous cafes while Ryan got their tickets and food. Lamarc had given them two thousand Digis to fund the trip, and as part of their payment. Ryan had taken Yuusuke to a bank to set up an account on the way back. The remaining reward of seven thousand Digis would be deposited as soon as they got back from wherever it was they were going. Yuusuke looked at his new bank card one more time before putting it back in his wallet and slipping the wallet into one of the velcro pockets of his pants. He kept his backpack close to him at all times, as the station was as crowded as ever, and Yuusuke could've sworn he saw Pico Devimon fluttering about a couple times.  
  
He was relieved when Ryan sat back down, placing two tickets and a tray of hot dogs and drinks down on the table. Yuusuke took one of the tickets and stuffed it in his backpack, then grabbed a hot dog and started to eat, saying thanks to Ryan at the same time. "Don't mention it," Ryan said.  
  
Yuusuke finished the hot dog in two gulps. He downed some juice then turned to Ryan. "So, what're we going after, anyway?"  
  
Ryan held up his hand. "Not now. We've got a private compartment on the train. It leaves in an hour. We'll talk about that when we're on board." He smiled. "For now, school's in session. Take out your D-Cell."  
  
Yuusuke pulled the blue and white D-Cell from one of his other pockets while Ryan retrieved his gold and black one. "Turn it on," Ryan instructed.  
  
Yuusuke pressed the power button and the screen glowed to life. Ryan began to explain. "This first screen is the basic menu. There are three choices: COMM, SCAN, and MAP." Ryan flipped open a flap on the front of the D-Cell. "This small alphanumeric keypad works mostly with the communication system. You can enter a number or look up a name on the directory. The directory itself is only good for people and businesses with a permanent address, so if you don't know the number of another explorer, you're gonna have a hell of a time trying to find them. Communication is done through video. The screen projects a small holographic image of the person on the other end. There's a little flip stand on the back so you can stand it up straight on something when you talk."  
  
He pointed to a small crystalline bubble on the top of the D-Cell. "This is the scanner. Choosing the SCAN function activates this scanner, which works through the encyclopedia. You can also manually input commands through the keypad. The encyclopedia will be able to tell you the species and some of the basic characteristics of every Digimon in the database, which is basically every Digimon in the world. Hell, it's even got the *Dark Lords* listed."  
  
"I heard Lamarc mention them," Yuusuke said. "Who are they?"  
  
"Compartment," Ryan said quickly, then got back to the lesson. "The final choice is the MAP function, which can give you info on the various parts of the Digital World, as well as access the GPS feature. The SCAN and MAP functions can be used together, and those are also the functions that we as explorers provide updates for. With me so far?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Good. What's next is stuff you'll need to know if you get a partner. See that small covered slot on the bottom on the D-Cell? That will open to allow you to insert Evolution Chips. There are four basic levels that a Digimon spends most of its life as: Child, Adult, Perfect, and Ultimate. After it gets old enough and strong enough, a Digimon will evolve on it own. However, a temporary evolution can be achieved by using these chips. There are three kinds, each allowing for a different type of evolution.  
  
"Basic Evolution Chips can be used to upgrade your partner one level at a time. Occasionally, a Digimon can use its own power to temporarily evolve one level or 'warp evolve' several levels at once, but the effect never lasts for more than half an hour before they're too tired to maintain the level. Evolution through the chip can last up to two days.  
  
"The second type is the Jogress Evolution Chip. This will allow your Digimon to temporarily combine with another Digimon. A non-chip Jogress hasn't been recorded in history.  
  
"The final type, and the most rare, is the Matrix Evolution Chip. Using this chip, you yourself can combine with your partner to form an Ultimate. The Ultimate form that results from a Matrix Evolution isn't necessarily the same form that the Digimon would have through normal evolution.  
  
"Aside from those three, there's one more type of evolution you may encounter. It's a natural type. Some of the more powerful Digimon have more than one form. Switching between forms is known as 'Slide evolution.' Got all that?"  
  
Yuusuke counted off on his fingers. "Basic, Jogress, Matrix, Slide. Got it." He grabbed another hot dog and wolfed it down.  
  
Ryan took a swig of juice then said, "That's about it for the basics. Just refer to the D-Cell whenever you encounter something new. The answers are usually there."  
  
He grabbed a hot dog off the tray and started eating it when an announcement sounded through the cafe. "The fifteen-hundred Comdi Express has arrived at platform 471 and will begin boarding in ten minutes. All passengers please make their way to platform 471 at this time."  
  
"That's our train," Ryan said. He and Yuusuke finished off the remaining hot dogs and drinks in two minutes and then started to make their way up to platform 471.  
  
The platform was one of those on the upper stories of the station. It took them twelve minutes to get there, but they made it with plenty of time to spare. They found their compartment and sat down. Yuusuke looked out the window at the activity out in the station. Suddenly he spotted Pico Devimon, fluttering behind some Digimon that was shaped like a bear. The small Digimon had several long naked streaks were the fuzz appeared to have been ripped out. "The duct tape." Yuusuke looked over to see Ryan looking out at the fuzzball, too.  
  
"What if he sees us?" Yuusuke asked.  
  
"If he sees us, he sees us," Ryan answered. "The little hairball's got an attack, but you can stop it pretty easily. Besides, that Bearmon's starting to get a little ticked. I don't think we're gonna have to worry about him for a while. Just sit back and relax. They call this an express, but it's still six hours 'til Comdi."  
  
With that, Ryan stretched, adjusted himself in the seat, then leaned his head down. Yuusuke still had his questions, but he thought it might be best to wait until the train left the station.  
  
A bell tone sounded through the compartment, and with a slight jerk, the train began to roll away from the platform. Yuusuke was just leaning back when he heard a scream from outside. He looked out the window in time to see Pico Devimon fly through the air and slam into the station's outer wall. When Yuusuke sat back down, he noticed that Ryan had a particularly large grin on his face.  
  
*****  
  
Within a few minutes, the train had cleared the station and was heading south out of Upload City. Yuusuke kept looking out the window, trying to take in everything he could of this new world. As they left the city limits, the conductor came by and stamped their tickets. Except for that, Ryan remained silently leaning back in his seat. For half an hour more, he stayed this way, until he suddenly opened his eyes and leaned forward. "Okay, first thing's first," he said. Yuusuke turned away from the window and sat down on the bench facing Ryan. "The Dark Lords. The Digital World's a tough place to live in, but up until five years ago, it was a hell of a lot tougher. Six of the more powerful Digimon consolidated their power. Led by Vamdemon and Mephismon, they chose generals, assembled armies, and began a reign of terror across the Digital World. But five years ago, Vamdemon was killed in battle, and the Dark Lords dispersed. Mephismon disappeared completely shortly after that. The rest are still around, with their generals, and they show up from time to time, but they're nowhere near as powerful apart as they were together."  
  
"So," Yuusuke began, "what Lamarc was talking about... the Five Crystals...?"  
  
"The Five Elemental Crystals which call upon the five most powerful Digimon of all time, the four Holy Beasts and Yinyangmon. The trouble is, while the Holy Beasts themselves are bound to not interfere in the workings of the Digital World, their power can be used for good or evil through the Crystals."  
  
"And Yinyangmon?"  
  
"He's neutral. The Spirit Crystal summons not just his power, but Yinyangmon himself. He's bound by the Crystal to fight for whichever side possesses it. That's why the Dark Lords cannot be allowed to have even one. Even without Vamdemon and Mephismon, they would be able take over the Digital World and lead it into a new age of darkness."  
  
The words sank into Yuusuke as he tried to comprehend them. It was still just his first day in this new world, and already he found himself having to deal with a situation that could alter its very fate. It was a little overwhelming, but for some reason, he didn't seem too daunted by it. As he sat in silence, a question suddenly came into his mind. "Ryan, what was it like when they were still around?"  
  
Ryan looked at him for a moment before answering. "Kid, those are years I'd rather forget." He stretched and closed his eyes again. "Get some rest while you can. Lamarc's people only have an energy spike around Comdi, not an exact location. I want to start looking for the Crystal as soon as possible."  
  
Yuusuke reached to the rack above the bench and pulled down a blanket and pillow. Laying down, he closed his eyes and fell asleep. His dream was strange, containing a blazingly white giant, staring at him with glowing purple eyes and with its mouth moving in a silent verse.  
  
*****  
  
Several hours later, two figures watched from the shadows as the express pulled into the Comdi station. One of the figures, a human smaller than the Digimon that stood concealed behind him, watched the flow of passengers intently. "There he is," he said as Ryan and Yuusuke stepped off the train. "She was right. This is the train he was on."  
  
"Who's that with him?" the Digimon asked.  
  
"Probably the apprentice the report mentioned. The kid looks a little nervous."  
  
"Kid? He doesn't look much younger than you."  
  
"He's still a kid. Besides, the report also said this was his first day in the Digital World. Having all this happen in a few hours must be a little overwhelming." The human smiled. "If not, it certainly will be by this time tomorrow." He turned toward his partner. "Let's go. I don't want to be seen here."  
  
"Right," the Digimon agreed, and they crept off back into the shadows.  
  
*****  
  
Yuusuke and Ryan stepped away from the platform into the main terminal of the station. The night air coming in from the track tunnel was cool, but humid. "Where to first?" Yuusuke asked.  
  
"First we secure some lodgings," Ryan said. "Next, we get some dinner." He had been watching a weather report for the region on a nearby screen. The Digimon standing in front of the map pointed to some animated storm clouds moving toward Comdi. Ryan swore under his breath. "Damn. We aren't going to get much done with the rain coming. We can at least ask around for information while we get dinner."  
  
"How are we gonna do that?" Yuusuke asked.  
  
Ryan just smiled.  
  
*****  
  
Yuusuke was finding this situation more and more confusing. An hour ago, he was getting off the express. Now, he was sitting with Ryan in a seedy pub near the center of town. Ryan, for his part, seemed perfectly comfortable, nursing a cold pint of beer and laughing with the people around him. Yuusuke took another swallow of water and looked around.  
  
The air in the pub was dense and hot, despite the open windows that allowed a breeze in from outside. The bartender, another Digitamamon, spoke quickly with the customers as they came up, keeping the business flowing. There was one Digimon sitting at the bar that Yuusuke couldn't take his eyes off of. It stood upright like a human, but its body and head were unmistakably a lion's. Rather than interrupt Ryan asking for the Digimon's identity, Yuusuke held up his D-Cell and scanned the Digimon. The entry that came up read, "LEOMON."  
  
Leomon's head suddenly snapped up, as if he was aware of the scan. Quickly, Yuusuke put the D-Cell away as Leomon's eyes turned in his direction. For the briefest moment, his gaze locked with Yuusuke's, and the boy's throat tightened in fear. But then Leomon looked on, and Yuusuke relaxed, but he dared not breath again until Leomon's attention was back on his glass at the bar.  
  
Suddenly, the door burst open and a black-furred Digimon strutted inside. This one, too, was humanoid, with a great wolf's head and penetrating yellow eyes. He got two feet into the pub when the Digitamamon behind the bar yelled out, "Oh, no! Not you! Get out! NOW!" The whole pub was silenced.  
  
The Digimon glared around the room, his gaze lingering on the corner where Yuusuke, Ryan, and many other humans were gathered. "Maybe I will go," he said. "Too many humans here. It reeks. The beer's probably no good anymore."  
  
"Why don't you just keep your opinions of the humans to yourself?" Leomon grumbled.  
  
The Digimon was taken aback, and said mockingly, "Whoa, what's this? Leomon standing up for the humans? Coming to the aid of the inferior invaders of our world? Have you really become so *weak*?"  
  
Leomon leapt to his feet. He spoke through clenched teeth. "I believe you were asked to leave, Black Were Garurumon."  
  
"Think you can make me?" Black Were Garurumon challenged. "Bring it on, weakling!" He drew back his clawed hand and ran toward Leomon with a snarl.  
  
Yuusuke wasn't sure what had gotten into him. A moment before, he had been watching the Digimon arguing, but then he suddenly leapt to his feet and ran in front of Leomon, as if he could block Black Were Garurumon's attack. "Leave him alone!" Yuusuke yelled.  
  
Black Were Garurumon suddenly halted his attack and looked blankly at Yuusuke for a few seconds. Then he looked back up to Leomon. "Ooh. Has the Lost Warrior finally gotten a partner? Or are you just so weak you have to hide behind a human--a child, no less?"  
  
Before Leomon could answer, Yuusuke spoke up. "He's not hiding. Given the chance, he'd skin you where you stand. But I've had to live with close-minded bigots like you for too long! That's why I left the human world, and I'll be *damned* if I'm going to put up with it here!" He glared right into Black Were Garurumon's yellow eyes. "Now go!"  
  
No one in the pub dared to breath. Black Were Garurumon considered Yuusuke for a moment, then spat at the boy's feet. Turning around, he stormed out of the pub, slamming the door behind him. There was another moment of silence, then the whole pub burst into applause. Yuusuke quietly went back to his seat, trying not to think about how terrified he really was.  
  
Leomon stood rooted to his spot, but turned his head and watched as the boy sat back down.  
  
After a moment, the applause faded back into the chatter of the pub, and a waiter brought some food to the table. Ryan came over and sat down next to Yuusuke, and without saying a word, began to eat. Yuusuke picked up his fork, and only then did he realize his hand was trembling. "Perhaps is was not bravery, after all."  
  
Yuusuke looked up and saw that Leomon had walked over and was standing in front of the table. He looked away. "I just can't stand bigots," he said.  
  
"Still," Leomon continued, "it would have been a difficult fight, and I would have hated to see the pub get damaged. Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome," Yuusuke said quietly.  
  
"Is there anything I can do in return?" Leomon asked.  
  
"There may be," Ryan answered. "Please, have a seat." Leomon pulled up a chair and all three leaned in close. Ryan continued. "I've never really been around this area before. Do you know of any places of... ancient importance? Ruins or temples?"  
  
"There're some ruins about two kilometers outside of town to the east. I believe some archeologists have given them a cursory look before, but never documented their existence. I can lead you to them."  
  
"Tomorrow morning, then? We meet here around eight?"  
  
Leomon nodded his head. "Agreed."  
  
"Thank you," Ryan said.  
  
"My pleasure."  
  
With that, Leomon stood up and walked off, leaving some money on the bar as he made his way out the door. Ryan leaned back in his seat and glanced at Yuusuke. "Well. Bravery, foolishness, or luck, you've managed to get us a guide. Did you really think you could take on Black Were Garurumon?"  
  
"I don't care. I just wanted him to stop." He paused, then added, "And I think... I didn't want him to attack Leomon. It was like, deep down, I felt I had to protect him."  
  
Ryan looked at Yuusuke for a moment longer, then silently finished his meal.  
  
Ryan and Yuusuke paid their bills then walked out of the pub, heading back to their inn. Lights glowed in the windows around them, and the sound of music and many voices floated through the air. It was warm, and the breeze had a slightly moist smell, signaling the approach of rain clouds before they could be seen. Yuusuke looked up and saw that the full moon was just slightly covered.  
  
They walked into a small area of shadow, where one of the inns had closed down and no one new had moved in. Neither of them sensed the attack until it was almost too late. With a snarl, Black Were Garurumon pounced at Yuusuke, slashing at him. With a scream, Yuusuke ducked and rolled out of the way just in time. The Digimon landed and spun around, dragging his claws on the ground where Yuusuke sat. The boy shuffled out of the way. Ryan drew a knife and leapt at Black Were Garurumon, but the Digimon saw the attack and swung around, catching Ryan on the chin and tossing him to the ground. He then turned back to Yuusuke and raised his claws again.  
  
"Fist of the Beast King!"  
  
A golden light charged at Black Were Garurumon and blasted him in the chest. Leomon jumped in front of Yuusuke and drove his massive fist into the other Digimon's stomach, sending him flying back several feet. Leomon growled as Black Were Garurumon struggled to his feet, gasping for breath. "Seems the Lost Warrior's still got some fight in him, after all," he said.  
  
He made to leap forward again, but by then, Ryan had gotten back to his feet and jumped on the Digimon's back, bringing the knife up his neck. Black Were Garurumon stopped dead in his tracks. Ryan smiled menacingly. "Don't move. I slip off, you know what happens to your neck."  
  
"Damned human," Black Were Garurumon growled, then he relaxed a bit. "Fine."  
  
Ryan slowly slipped off the Digimon's back, keeping his knife at the ready all the time. He got to the ground then walked around to join Leomon. Yuusuke stood up and moved to Leomon's other side. All four stared at each other for several moments. Then Black Were Garurumon spat. "This isn't over," he said, then turned and walked away.  
  
When Black Were Garurumon was out of sight, Yuusuke looked up at Leomon. "Thanks. I guess now we're even."  
  
"'Even' has nothing to do with it," Leomon said. He looked down at Yuusuke and smiled. "I just felt like I had to protect you."  
  
Suddenly, Ryan started chuckling. They looked at him curiously. Smirking, he said, "I knew it."  
  
"Knew what?" Yuusuke asked.  
  
"Take out your D-Cell." Yuusuke did so. "Scan him."  
  
"But I already--"  
  
"Just do it."  
  
Yuusuke held the D-Cell up to Leomon and scanned him. This time, however, the screen just flashed white, then faded, leaving a glowing symbol in its center. "That's an ancient Digimon character," Ryan said. "It means, 'Partner.'"  
  
Yuusuke and Leomon both looked at each other. "But, why didn't it happen back in the pub?"  
  
"You hadn't met yet. The connection wasn't established until you got up to stop Black Were Garurumon from fighting him. A sense of mutual protection is one of the signs of a partnership."  
  
Yuusuke smiled and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Leomon."  
  
Leomon took Yuusuke's hand. "Nice to meet you... Yuusuke."  
  
Yuusuke looked puzzled. "But... I never told you..."  
  
"I just... knew."  
  
Ryan was laughing harder now. "You'll get used to it," he was finally able to say. "Partners can tell things about each other." He chuckled again. "Heh. Here I am, the old expert on partners and I've never had one. Guess I've just gathered a lot of knowledge in all my long years."  
  
The three laughed together and started walking down towards the inn.  
  
*****  
  
Yuusuke and Leomon stayed up half the night exchanging stories. It was mostly Leomon talking, since Yuusuke didn't have much to say about his life in the human world. He learned that Leomon had hatched from his Digiegg four years ago, and had spent all of his life trying to be as strong as he could. He evolved faster than the other kids around him, and excelled at school. He seemed to have some memories left over from a previous life, but when Yuusuke asked about it, Leomon just said they weren't all that clear and changed the subject. Ryan got the feeling Leomon was holding something back, and he knew Yuusuke did, too, but neither one brought the subject up again. Around two, they finally went to sleep.  
  
The next morning, they woke up early, had breakfast down in the inn's small cafe, and set out for the ruins east of Comdi. The journey was pleasant, and surprisingly cool. The rain clouds from the night before had passed without so much as a drop, and the morning sun warmed their faces as it rose. After a short while, they came up to the first sign of the ruins, the remnants of a wall.  
  
They stopped to look. Pieces of rock were scattered along the ground, marking where buildings used to stand. Columns rose up to the sky, some complete, some split. Once-underground passageways had been opened by years of erosion. Ryan pulled out his D-Cell and scanned the ruins. A holographic display of them was projected from the screen, along with the energy spike data he had gotten from Lamarc. "There's no doubt. It's definitely here somewhere." He panned the D-Cell over the ruins. Suddenly, it started beeping, and a display with the energy spike overlaid the one of the ruins. "That's it!" he yelled.  
  
They ran in the direction of some ruins that looked like they may have once been a large building of some kind. When they got there, Ryan scanned them, stopping when he got to a small tunnel. "Down here."  
  
Yuusuke pulled a flashlight from his backpack and crawled down the tunnel. After a few minutes, it opened up on a large chamber. He pulled himself out of the tunnel and looked around. Most of the inside walls had collapsed, and a small amount of water covered the floor. Yuusuke swung the beam around and stopped on a small box covered by a few rocks. "I've found something!" he called up the tunnel. "It's some kind of box."  
  
"Can you open it?" Ryan called down.  
  
"I think so," Yuusuke answered.  
  
He knelt down by the box and set the flashlight on a nearby stone. He cleared the rocks off the box then examined it. It seemed simple enough, made of stone and painted red. A lock on the front had long since rusted over, and gave with just one whack of a rock. Yuusuke pulled off the lid. Inside was a small, red, crystalline ring. On one side was a small pointed protrusion going up, and another, smaller, pointed impression was a quarter way around. It didn't seem to have any special attributes, but Yuusuke shrugged and put it in his backpack all the same, along with his flashlight.  
  
He took one last look around the chamber, then went back to the tunnel. Jumping, he grabbed the edge and pulled himself up. Slowly, he made his way back to the surface. A few feet from the exit, Leomon reached in and pulled Yuusuke up the rest of the way. Setting the boy down, he asked, "What'd you find?"  
  
Yuusuke unzipped his backpack and pulled out the crystalline ring. Ryan looked at it. "I've read about the Crystals. They were made to fit into each other. This notch is for the Crystal that goes under it, and the point fits into the notch of the Crystal above it. They all fit over a point on the Spirit Crystal, hence the ring shape."  
  
"So it's one of them?" Yuusuke asked excitedly.  
  
"No doubt," Ryan said. "Red. Southern area. It's the Fire Crystal."  
  
"Then we'll take it!"  
  
Out of nowhere, a massive brown shape slammed into the three explorers, snatching the Crystal out of Yuusuke's hand and leaping away. "Matrix split!" it called out. They watched as the brown shape suddenly glowed white, then split in two. A human and a Digimon landed on a small hill. The human held the Fire Crystal. "Thanks," he said. "Saved us the trouble of finding it ourselves!"  
To be continued...  
(End Episode 01) 


	2. Episode 02: Rivals

*Fifteen years ago, the human world and the Digital World became linked by a series of Gateways. Since that time, groups of humans and their Digimon partners, known as "Explorers," have attempted to discover the Five Elemental Crystals, the most powerful treasures in the Digital World.*  
  
-----  
  
DIGIMON EXPLORERS  
Episode 02: Rivals  
by J Weekley  
  
-----  
Story copyright 2003 by J Weekley. Digimon is the property of Toei and Bandai. Used without permission.  
-----  
  
The human paced before the three explorers on top of the hill, grasping the Fire Crystal tightly. His long brown hair covered the right half of his face, but he kept his left eye on them all the while. When he spoke, it was with an unmistakable British accent. "Ryan, you need to tell Lamarc his security programs are really starting to suck."  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Joel?" Ryan called up to the young man.  
  
Joel just smiled. "I'd say it's rather obvious. I've been hired to obtain the Crystals before you do. My employer doesn't want to see them in Lamarc's hands as much as the Dark Lords'. And Adriana was so confident in my abilities she paid me full in advance."  
  
This caught Ryan off-guard. "Adriana? Adriana Reeves?" he asked in disbelief.  
  
"That's right," Joel answered. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we've got a long day ahead, and I certainly don't want to miss my train." He turned to the Digimon. "Red Leomon, let's go."  
  
It was then that Yuusuke got his first good look at him. The Digimon looked almost exactly like Leomon, except its fur was a reddish-brown, and its mane was cut short. But that was all Yuusuke could see, because Red Leomon picked up the young man and leapt away to the other side of the hill. Yuusuke turned to his partner. "Relative of yours?"  
  
"Variant," Leomon answered.  
  
"Aren't we going after them?" Yuusuke asked Ryan.  
  
It took a moment for Ryan to answer. "No. The situation's just changed in a way I never expected."  
  
"Why's that?"  
  
"Adriana Reeves. She owns her own business, but she and Lamarc have worked together for years. Why would she suddenly betray him like this?" He turned toward Yuusuke and Leomon. "We're going back to the inn. I can get a private signal and call Lamarc." He then added silently, "This isn't going to be as easy as I planned."  
  
The walk back through town was a lot more subdued than it had been earlier. Along the road, shops were starting to open for the day; the workers setting up displays and tables. Ryan's face was serious as he thought over the situation again and again. Too many questions arose, no matter how much he thought of it. Yuusuke and Leomon followed him silently.  
  
When they reached the inn, Yuusuke and Leomon sat out in the lobby while Ryan arranged for a private line to be set up in one of the phone booths. When the clerk told him the connection was made, Ryan went into the booth and closed the door. He activated the videophone's screen and dialed a number. After a moment, Lamarc's face came on. "Hello? Ah, Ryan! Did you get it?"  
  
Ryan leaned close to the screen. "We have a problem."  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"It was definitely the Fire Crystal. But it was stolen right after we got it."  
  
"Stolen?"  
  
"The thief was Joel Hutchinson. He's managed to find a Matrix Chip, it seems."  
  
Lamarc was taken aback. "Joel?"  
  
"Oh, it gets better. He says he's working for Adriana Reeves."  
  
On the screen, Lamarc stared at him in shocked silence. After a moment, Ryan asked, "How do you propose we handle this little situation?"  
  
"First thing's first. Despite its being stolen, you did recover the Crystal, as per your contract. For that, I'm going to go ahead and deposit the rest of the money into your accounts. After that, come on back here. This is going to require more thinking than we can do over the phone, and I doubt Adriana's going to be very cooperative if I call her."  
  
"I can't think of any reason why she would betray you. Go ahead and call her; you may find something out. I'll head back on the first train I can."  
  
"What about Yuusuke?"  
  
Ryan closed his eyes and ran his hand over his unshaven face, trying to think. Sighing, he said, "I'd hate to leave him alone on his second day here, but he found his partner. Leomon."  
  
At this, Lamarc's eyebrows went up, but he didn't say anything.  
  
Ryan leaned back. "I'll contact you again when I'm on the train."  
  
"What if you run into Joel?"  
  
"I won't. Knowing him, he's probably using a station a few towns over. He may have already left, and there's no indication he's heading back to Adriana straight away."  
  
"Okay, then. Just hurry up and get here."  
  
"Right."  
  
With that, Ryan turned the videophone off and stepped out of the booth. Yuusuke and Leomon looked up at him. With a serious look on his face, Ryan said, "Guys, the room's yours. I've got to head back to Upload City. Leomon, you keep an eye on him."  
  
The Digimon nodded. "I will."  
  
Yuusuke stood up and shook Ryan's hand. "Good luck," he said.  
  
"To both of us," Ryan answered. He handed Yuusuke a small piece of paper. "This is my D-Cell number. If you find out anything else, call me and let me know."  
  
"I will."  
  
Ryan handed his key to the room in at the desk, said a final farewell, then was out the door heading for the station. Yuusuke watched him until he turned a corner, then sat back down in one of the lobby's easy chairs. Leomon walked over and stood next to him. "What do you want to do now?" he said.  
  
Yuusuke looked up at his partner. "Now? Right now, I'd just like to rest. This is a little too much to take in. I wanted an adventure, but I didn't think it'd happen so... so *fast*."  
  
"And what about the Crystals?"  
  
"I think I just want to learn a bit more about the Digital World for now. If along the way we find out anything more on the Crystals, I'll call Ryan. I think he can handle it." He sighed, "I know I'm going to have to start looking for jobs soon, but while I've got enough money," he turned to Leomon, "school's in session."  
  
Yuusuke turned around in the chair and called to the clerk behind the desk. "Are there any libraries in town?"  
  
"Sure," the clerk answered. "There's a library next to city hall. Center of town. Can't miss it."  
  
"Thanks," Yuusuke said. He got out of the chair and started walking toward the door. Leomon followed him, asking, "A library?"  
  
"Of course. I can't study it all here, but along the way I want to read some books on geography, history, customs; stuff like that. If I want to be successful, those are some things I'm going to have to know, right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"And besides, even though we're partners, I shouldn't have to rely on you for everything. We need to be able to help each other." He stopped walking and looked up at his partner. "Don't you think?"  
  
Leomon smiled. "Of course."  
  
*****  
  
Maxwell Lamarc paced on the lush carpet of his office, holding a scotch in one hand, and fidgeting with a pen in the other. He'd been like this for a hour, and whatever ice the liquor may have once held had long since melted and hadn't even been drank. Every once in a while, Lamarc would stop and turn around towards his desk, looking at the computer screen hooked up to his videophone. He knew what he had to do, but he was dreading having to do it. Adriana was a woman he had trusted for years. What reason could she possibly have for stabbing him in the back like this? Lamarc could think of one possibility, but its meaning was so frightful that he immediately put it out of his head.  
  
"No sense putting it off any further," he said, then drained the watered-down alcohol and walked over to his desk. Sitting down, he turned on the power to the screen and dialed Adriana's number. A Terriermon graphic danced on the screen to the dial tone while Lamarc waited anxiously in his chair. Maybe she wasn't there?  
  
A screen on the other end of the line activated. So much for that idea.  
  
At first, all Lamarc could see was a high-backed leather chair, much like his own, overlooking the cityscape far on the other side of Upload City. Then, Adriana Reeves came into view. She was a tall, trim woman in her early thirties. She was dressed in a gray business suit and had her dark brown hair done up in a tight bun. Gold wire-frame glasses rested on the bridge of her small nose. She sat down in the chair, took one look at Lamarc, and smiled. "I take it your errand-boy Ryan's already told you the news," she said.  
  
"An hour ago," Lamarc said, trying to keep his voice as neutral as possible. "Why did you steal the Crystal?"  
  
Adriana answered cooly, "I think you know why."  
  
"Humor me."  
  
She leaned forward slightly. "We've both said the same reason for wanting to find the Crystals. We want to keep them out of the wrong hands."  
  
"When did I become a part of 'the wrong hands?'"  
  
"When something... rather enlightening... was revealed to me." She leaned back again. "The Fire Crystal is now in my hands. When Joel gets back, research on its properties can begin. Don't even try to send out a security team after him, you'll only end up with a lot of hurt people." Her smile suddenly became very chilling. "Maybe, with any luck, you'll be able to find the other four. But even if you do, it won't matter. I'll take them all. The Five Crystals are as good as mine."  
  
With that, she severed the connection.  
  
Lamarc continued to stare at the blank screen for several minutes. He knew she was right; his security teams would never be able to touch Joel, let alone get close enough to the Crystal. He stood up and turned towards his window, looking out over Upload City. In the distance, he could just see the top of the high-rise tower Adriana owned. Staring at it intently, he made up his mind. He would have the other four Crystals, and nothing, not even Adriana Reeves, would stop him from getting them.  
  
*****  
  
After several hours of pouring over books on various subjects, Yuusuke was tired, hungry, and ready to call it quits for the day. He now had a basic idea of the layout of the Digital World and the people living there. There were three main continents: Hub, Lan, and Bus. Comdi and Upload City were both located on Lan, the largest of the three. Almost every city in the Digital World was connected by the railway network, and tunnels allowed the lines to span under the oceans and join the continents together. The railway construction had been deemed a miracle, and was a part of the massive change the Digital World underwent after the Gateways had first started to appear.  
  
Yuusuke had also begun to make a list of the various Digimon races, and studying the customs of the different regions, but the head librarian made a closing announcement, and Yuusuke got up to leave. Having no permanent address, he couldn't get a library card, so he made a note of the books he had read and the ones he had not yet gotten to before walking out.  
  
Leomon had spent most the day sitting and thinking quietly out in the courtyard next to the library. He opened his eyes when he sensed Yuusuke's presence. "Ready for dinner?" the boy said.  
  
"Sounds good to me," Leomon answered.  
  
With the city streets bathed in the orange light of the sunset, Yuusuke and Leomon strolled casually down the road. They had decided to eat at the pub again, and Yuusuke was going over the menu in his mind, trying to decide what to have.  
  
It was then the attack came.  
  
It happened so fast, neither one of them could have reacted to it. Black Were Garurumon pounced on them, swinging his fist around, catching Yuusuke on the side of his head and knocking him to the side. Keeping his momentum, he brought his fist deep into Leomon's gut, winding him and sending him falling to his knees. Black Were Garurumon kicked Leomon's head for good measure, then scooped up Yuusuke's half-conscious form and leapt away.  
  
Struggling to catch his breath, Leomon called out after his partner, "Yuusuke!" but it was too late. They had already disappeared from view.  
  
*****  
  
On a rooftop not too far away, Black Were Garurumon dumped Yuusuke to the floor. The boy groggily shook his head as he struggled to his feet. "I told you it wasn't over, boy," the Digimon growled. "Your partner's out of the way, and I saw the other human get on a train this morning. You're all alone and completely defenseless."  
  
Yuusuke was still dizzy from the blow, but somehow he kept on his feet and glared at Black Were Garurumon. "Don't bet on it," he managed to say.  
  
Black Were Garurumon chuckled coldly, then leapt at Yuusuke, slashing at him. Yuusuke dodged the clawed hand, then swung his own fist at the Digimon. But Black Were Garurumon was too fast for him and caught the punch several inches from his face. He latched onto Yuusuke's other shoulder and began to squeeze the boy's fist. Yuusuke grunted as he felt the bones in his hand compress under the pressure. Trying to take his mind off the pain, he did the first thing that came into his head.  
  
He kicked Black Were Garurumon.  
  
In the crotch.  
  
The Digimon did stop squeezing Yuusuke's fist, but when the boy looked at his face, it wasn't quite the reaction he'd expected. Black Were Garurumon was looking at him, puzzled.  
  
For a moment, neither said anything, but then Black Were Garurumon spoke. "Now, see, had I been a human, I imagine that would have hurt. But being a species that reproduces asexually, there's nothing down there but bone and data." He got an evil glint in his eyes. "Though, I have often wondered what it's like. I hear the expressions people make are absolutely hilarious."  
  
Black Were Garurumon began to draw his leg back, and Yuusuke braced himself for the worst. Suddenly, a short blade shot through Black Were Garurumon's chest. "Leomon!" Yuusuke yelled with a smile. Leomon leaned forward and whispered into the other Digimon's ear. "This time, it *is* over."  
  
With a final scream, Black Were Garurumon's body suddenly exploded into a cloud of red free-floating data particles. Leomon returned the short sword to its sheath on his back, then held out his hand. The data particles spiraled towards it, flowing into his open palm. When the last of the particles entered his body, he took a deep breath, let it out, then looked down towards Yuusuke. "You alright?"  
  
Yuusuke was rubbing his hand. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Nothing's broken, just a little sore." He looked up at Leomon and smiled. "Thanks again."  
  
Leomon smiled and shrugged. "Hey, I'm your partner. I'm supposed to protect you, right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
*****  
  
In another town, many kilometers away, another reaffirmation of a partnership was taking place.  
  
On the rooftop of a hotel, a teenage girl stood staring up at the night sky. A tall figure wearing a dark cloak that covered his entire body crept up silently behind her. Without turning to look at him, she said, "It's a nice night, isn't it?"  
  
From the depths of the cloak, a hand reached out and rested on her shoulder. "It's perfect."  
  
"We make for Kebo tomorrow," the girl said. "Don't be late."  
  
"I won't be."  
  
A slight breeze picked up for a second, and when it died down, the cloaked figure had disappeared. The girl turned around and walked back inside.  
  
*****  
  
In his hotel room in Upload City, Ryan sat leaning against the window, staring at the setting sun. In his hand was an unopened beer can. His dinner lay forgotten on the table by the bed.  
  
He had met with Lamarc only a few hours earlier, and had been told about the conversation with Adriana. He still couldn't make any sense out of the situation. All the elements appeared in a random jumble in his mind. Himself. Lamarc. Adriana. Joel. The Crystals. Yuusuke.  
  
That last thought he held onto the longest. The poor kid had been thrown into this fiasco without even knowing his way around the Digital World. Thank God none of the Dark Lords decided to show up. At least he managed to find his partner, and considering who that partner was, Ryan didn't feel too bad about leaving Yuusuke in Comdi. Ryan knew Leomon would be reliable, even if he was reluctant to discuss his past life. Of course, Ryan knew perfectly well what that past life was like, but he felt that if Leomon wanted Yuusuke to know, he would tell the kid on his own.  
  
As the final light of the sun faded behind the high-rises and distant mountains, Ryan's eyes drifted southward. Pulling back the tab on the beer can, he raised it in a toast. "Best of luck to you, kid."  
  
*****  
  
Yuusuke had spent the rest of his first week in the Digital World pouring over the books in Comdi's library before he decided it was time to move on. Paying the hotel charge, he and Leomon gathered up their few possessions and hit the road. Yuusuke decided it would best to be cautious with his money because he didn't know when he would get another job. For that reason, he thought it best to walk from town to town rather than use the railway system. Besides, he had heard that foot journeys were quite common in the Digital World, and were usually preferred over the trains. Explorers Yuusuke met in the library and the pub gave him some excellent hiking tips, as well as telling him about some great sightseeing locations that could only be reached on foot. After hearing the tales, both he and Leomon were anxious to see some of these locations.  
  
At night, they would set up camp, or if they were in a town, stay at a hostel. Either way was pleasant. Camping under the stars, Yuusuke and Leomon would talk for hours about themselves and their worlds, not caring if some of the subjects had already been brought up. In the hostels, Yuusuke would have excited talks with the explorers staying there, learning new techniques from the more experienced First- and Second-Geners. Some of them even knew Ryan and were curious about how he was doing. Yuusuke could only reply that he was fine for the two days they were together. Leomon would often stay up late with the other Digimon partners, who all seemed to be trading war stories from the time of the Dark Lords. They all seemed to have a great respect for Leomon, but Yuusuke didn't listen in on the tales. He figured that if Leomon wanted to tell him, he'd do so when the time was right.  
  
After four weeks, Yuusuke and Leomon found themselves on the road to a town called Kebo. As they approached its outer wall, the sounds of a great commotion inside from inside grew louder and louder. Yuusuke had heard that Kebo was a boisterous trading center, but it still didn't brace him for the shock he got when he first walked through the town gates. Yuusuke was immediately reminded of the Documents Folder in Upload City, only this time, it was *the whole town*! Stone pavilions and canvas tents lined the streets, each of them with someone having something to sell. Even the homes were considered places of business, with every house having a shop on the ground and living space on top. Yuusuke couldn't believe that the place was so prosperous, yet still so small. He figured that most of the people there weren't permanent residents, just merchants in from some other town.  
  
Sure enough, as he and Leomon made their way to the back of the town, the number of hotels gradually increased until they were only buildings that could be seen. Yuusuke was trying to find the cheapest place to stay when a voice called out to him. "Excuse me!"  
  
He and Leomon looked in the direction of the voice. A short, brown-haired man was running up to them. When he reached the pair he asked, "Do you happen to be explorers by any chance?"  
  
"Yes, we are," Yuusuke answered.  
  
The man clapped his hands together and sighed. "Oh, thank God. I've been trying to find some explorers who would be willing to do a job for me, but they're all too busy."  
  
"What's the job?" Leomon asked.  
  
"My name is Gelsin. I own ten hotels in this town. My newest acquisition came about a month ago. It's an old hotel outside the town walls that I decided to renovate. The hotel came with about eighty acres of land attached to it, and there are some shallow caves in the forest on that land. I thought it might make a good attraction, but I don't know what the caves themselves are like. I'm trying to hire someone to explore them. The town safety board won't even set foot in them unless I hand over a map first."  
  
"Isn't there anyone who's been to the caves before?" Yuusuke asked.  
  
"The hotel was abandoned sixty years ago, and the land closed off. Everyone I've asked has never even been near the place."  
  
"What would the pay be?"  
  
"Five hundred Digis and a free room and three meals a day for however long it takes, up to a week. Some of the renovation's already been done, so if you wanted to stay in the old hotel and be closer to the caves, that'd be fine. I'm staying there myself for the time being, and I've already got a skeleton staff helping to set up some of the modern equipment in the offices. How's that sound?"  
  
Yuusuke and Leomon looked at each other for a moment. Then Yuusuke held out his hand. "Mr. Gelsin, you've got yourself a deal."  
  
"Excellent! We'll write out the contract, get it signed, and you can get started tomorrow."  
  
*****  
  
Yuusuke kept thinking about how nice it would have been if Gelsin had mentioned just how much the hotel was *in need* of renovation. The words "abandoned sixty years ago" should have tipped him off, but he was too excited to finally have his first job on his own as an explorer to notice.  
  
Half the roof (and several of the upper-story rooms) had collapsed on one side of the building. The lights were always flickering, and most of Gelsin's staff were complaining about how there just wasn't enough power to get the computer system set up, let alone run the hotel. Whatever water there was trickled cold out of the faucets, no matter how much the pressure was up, or how hot the dial was turned. The construction equipment and renovators started early in the mornings and worked until very late at night, filling the halls with so much noise that most workers there wore ear plugs just so they could hear themselves think.  
  
'At least the bed's comfortable enough,' Yuusuke thought as he lay there, ears plugged, trying to get some sleep. He and Leomon had been there for three days, and he was glad that they were going through the caves rather than working in the building itself. They only had to deal with the construction noise in the mornings and at night.  
  
On the table by the window were several large sheets of paper. On each was a map made out in pencil. The caves had been more expansive than Gelsin had thought, but Yuusuke and Leomon knew they would be done at last the next day. They were going to look through the cave farthest away, which had its entrance just inside the property line. After that point, the land was open, so Gelsin said there would be no problem if they went off the property. So far, the caves seemed safe enough, but Yuusuke thought it best to leave the final analysis to the professionals. There weren't any large pits, or extremely low ceilings, and, for the most part, they just sloped gently downward into the ground. There were a couple rooms that only Yuusuke could squeeze into, as Leomon was too large, and they made note of them on the maps.  
  
As the sounds of the renovation died down for the night, Yuusuke rolled over on his side and closed his eyes. Tomorrow, it would all be over. He would collect his fee from Gelsin, and be done with this God-forsaken hotel. He wasn't even sure he wanted to come back for a free stay when the renovation was done, as Gelsin had invited him to do at dinner that night. He thought he'd seen enough of the place it was.  
  
'Oh, well, I'll worry about it later,' he thought, then went to sleep.  
  
*****  
  
The next day was overcast, but the weather report said there wouldn't be any rain for a while longer. With that in mind, Yuusuke and Leomon set out from the hotel as usual, greeting the disgruntled staff as they passed. For half the day, they roamed through the cave, which was indeed larger than the others had been. They found some incredible formations in its depths, along with a small lake, though there didn't seem to be anything alive in it. Around noon, they came back outside to have lunch, and that's when the trouble started.  
  
They had just started eating when a dark-haired teenage girl and a tall, cloaked thing Yuusuke that could only guess was her partner stepped out from behind a large tree. "You two!" she yelled. "What do you think you're doing here?"  
  
Yuusuke stood up and answered, "We're under contract with the hotel being renovated to map these caves. What are *you* doing here?"  
  
The girl looked at him defiantly. "We've been hired by a farmer on the other side of the open land to find some crop thieves who've been wandering around his fields."  
  
"Well look somewhere else," Yuusuke answered. "We're busy."  
  
"I'm sure."  
  
"You're accusing *us* of being the thieves?" Yuusuke laughed. "Let's just walk up to the hotel and get Gelsin to confirm we're working for him."  
  
The girl smirked darkly. "If I'm walking anywhere with you, it's to the town police, while you're restrained." She turned to the cloaked Digimon. "Partner! Get him!"  
  
The Digimon leapt at Yuusuke, but Leomon jumped in front and shoved him out of the way. The two Digimon rolled away from the humans, finally being able to break away from each other and leap to their feet. Yuusuke and the girl watched as their partners fought. Every punch and kick one threw at the other was either blocked or avoided with fluid ease. Leomon had tried to use some of his special techniques at first, but he soon realized that they just slowed him down. He also realized something that seemed strange. The cloaked Digimon was only using physical attacks! Even if they did slow the user down, it was a Digimon's usual instinct to try a special move with any new opponent.  
  
They moved forward and grappled with each other once again. Leomon was starting to feel winded, but he somehow felt his opponent was feeling the same way. Their bodies twisted slightly, and that was when the light penetrated the shadows of the cloak for the briefest moment, and Leomon saw who his opponent was. He suddenly loosened his grasp and just stared in bewilderment at the cloaked Digimon. "It's you," he was finally able to say. "You came back, too?"  
  
The cloaked Digimon chuckled. "Yeah, about four years ago."  
  
"And you have a partner."  
  
"You, too. Amazing how times change."  
  
"You know, if we keep on fighting, we'll probably have a repeat performance. I don't think either of our partners will appreciate that."  
  
"Agreed. I trust what the boy says is true?"  
  
"It is."  
  
The cloaked Digimon turned around. "Then, in that case, we'll leave you alone. It was good seeing you again."  
  
"You, too."  
  
The cloaked Digimon passed by his partner. "Natalie, come on. They're not the ones we're looking for."  
  
"You're sure?" the girl asked him.  
  
"I'm sure."  
  
She took one last glance at Yuusuke, then turned around and started walking away with her partner, just saying, "Okay, then."  
  
As they disappeared back into the forest, Leomon returned to Yuusuke. The boy looked up at him. "What happened back there?"  
  
"A recognition."  
  
"You know who the cloaked Digimon is?"  
  
Leomon looked down at him and smiled. "Of course. I killed him."  
To be continued  
(End Episode 02)  
  
NEXT TIME: Who is this girl Natalie, and, more importantly, who's her partner? Secrets will be revealed when she teams up the Crystal thief Joel, who may not be such a bad guy after all. Plus, the appearance of the first Dark Lord in the series. Digimon Explorers Episode 03: HELL RIDER. 


	3. Episode 03: Hell Rider

*Fifteen years ago, the human world and the Digital World became linked by a series of Gateways. Since that time, groups of humans and their Digimon partners, known as "Explorers," have attempted to discover the Five Elemental Crystals, the most powerful treasures in the Digital World.*  
  
-----  
  
DIGIMON EXPLORERS  
Episode 03: Hell Rider  
by J Weekley  
  
-----  
Story copyright 2003 by J Weekley. Digimon is the property of Toei and Bandai. Used without permission.  
-----  
  
It was a beautiful day in the Digital World. The sun was high in the cloudless blue sky. A cool breeze from the north flowed gently through the trees, keeping the early autumn temperature relatively low. Shadows of leaves danced about the ground, playing with the sunlight shining down through the canopy onto the trail below. It was truly a pristine scene that day.  
  
Natalie Doyle wanted nothing to do with it. For the past week, she had been preoccupied with the boy she met over in Kebo. Her instincts had told her that he was the one she and her partner were looking for, but they had been wrong. For the first time, her instincts had betrayed her, and that made her uneasy. True, they did find the real thieves the next day, but still...  
  
She looked up at her partner, who was walking beside her, his hooded cloak concealing his face in eternal shadow, just the way he wanted. She should have guessed something was wrong when he and the boy's Leomon had suddenly stopped fighting. Of course, she knew all about his past with Leomon, and the fact that it could have generated such trust should have put her mind at ease.  
  
She was so lost in thought that she failed to notice he had stopped in a clearing she had just passed through. She glanced back down the trail and saw him looking at something. Jogging back to him, she said, "Partner, what is it?"  
  
He remained silent, staring down at a high stone. Natalie looked at it. On the stone was a plaque, tarnished with exposure to the elements, but still quite readable.  
  
"The town of Ioriton dedicates this plaque as a memorial to the final victims of Vamdemon, who gave their lives in the last battle against the Dark Lord on this site, April 10, 2035."  
  
She glanced up to her partner. "The town's just on the other side of the clearing. Want to stop for the day?"  
  
He remained silent a moment longer, then nodded, "Sure."  
  
*****  
  
They had checked into an inn, and decided to have a look around town. The buildings were all old and made of brick. Humans and Digimon went about their business, moving on the cobblestone street. They were certain to make way for Natalie and the tall cloaked Digimon that followed her.  
  
She was thinking about what to do for lunch when she noticed someone out of the corner of her eye. She turned around, but the person had disappeared around a building. Suddenly forgetting lunch, she ran off after him. "Natalie, what is it?" her partner asked. When she didn't answer, he ran off after her.  
  
Natalie rounded the building and saw him talking with a baker. A tall young man with long brown hair and a tiny point of a goatee under his lower lip, speaking with a British accent. A large red-brown cat-type Digimon stood near him. "Joel!" she called out.  
  
Joel Hutchinson turned in the direction of the voice. The dark-haired girl he saw took a second to register. "Natalie?" he asked.  
  
She burst out in laughter and ran up to him. "It *is* you," she said, taking his hand.  
  
"My God," he said in astonishment. "It's been two years. You've certainly grown up."  
  
"You, too. You only used to be a couple inches taller than me." Her head barely reached the bottom of Joel's chin.  
  
Joel looked up at the tall cloaked figure that walked up behind her. "And who's this?" he asked.  
  
"This is my partner," she answered. "Speaking of which, hi, Red Leomon."  
  
Red Leomon nodded, "Hello, Natalie."  
  
"Who's this?" the cloaked Digimon asked.  
  
Natalie introduced them, "Partner, this is Joel Hutchinson. He's the one who taught me how to be an explorer. I'd left him only a week before I found you. That's his partner, Red Leomon."  
  
"So she was *your* apprentice?" Partner said. Somehow, Joel felt there was a smile under the shadows of the cloak. "You did a good job."  
  
"Thanks," he said. He turned back to Natalie. "So, what brings you to town?"  
  
"Just wandering for now," she answered. "You?"  
  
"We were coming back from a... delivery... in Upload City. Stopped at a station close by and saw an ad for a job here. Figured we'd take it." He had a sudden thought. "Say, you want to join us? I'm sure the guy wouldn't mind splitting the check two more ways."  
  
Natalie was a little shocked by the offer. "Well, he might not mind, but what about you?"  
  
Joel waved the question off. "Oh, don't worry about me. We're set for a while. This is just something to do to keep from being bored."  
  
Natalie looked up to Partner. He just shrugged. "Okay," she said, "we'll do it."  
  
"Great!" Joel said, clapping his hands together. "I was hoping to see how you turned out after all this time."  
  
*****  
  
The job was being offered by a small museum. There were some marked ruins a little ways out of town, and some of the plaques had recently been vandalized. Unfortunately, the museum didn't have the staff to spare at the moment to go out and replace them. In addition, some of the markers had been moved to different sites among the ruins. Working off a map, all they would have to do is replace the damaged plaques with the new ones, and make sure they were for the right ruin. The curator for the museum didn't mind two extra people helping at all, and he happily gave them the map of the site. After a quick lunch in town, the four explorers set off.  
  
A dinosaur-type Digimon guard said that they were expected, and he let them in through the massive circular fence surrounding the site. After they stepped through, he closed the gate behind them. The ruins seemed to be of an old castle town. Short grasses grew on what remained of shops and homes. A large chunk of the castle remained standing at the far end of the site. Natalie walked up to a plaque and looked at it. All the information on it had been scratched out. In its place was spray painted a symbol which looked like a crossed-out N in a circle.  
  
Joel looked at the symbol and frowned. "I know that mark," he said. "Rewriters. A group that seeks to eliminate any possibility that humans may have lived in the Digital World."  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked.  
  
"Well, History records that the only humans who came to the Digital World before the First Geners were the four priests. But there's some speculation that there may have been pockets of humans living in the Digital World ages before then. There's not much evidence, though, and anything new that comes up is soon stolen or destroyed by these people before it can be properly studied. And, supposedly, they're an all-human group."  
  
"That's strange," Natalie said. "I never heard of them before."  
  
"I have," Partner said, "but no more than what Joel said."  
  
"Well, if this site did have some evidence, I doubt it's seen the last of them," Joel sighed. "Even so, we've still got our job for today. Red Leomon, you okay with those plaques?"  
  
Joel's partner, who had carried the replacement plaques all the way from town, smiled. "Yeah, no problem. They're pretty light."  
  
Joel reached into his pocket and pulled out the map. Handing it to Natalie, he said, "Why don't you go around and see if the markers are in the right places. Red Leomon and I will follow and set up the replacements."  
  
Natalie nodded. "Okay."  
  
With that, the group went to work.  
  
The job wasn't difficult, just slow. Most of the buildings were identified by only a few stones in certain places, and more than once they had to go back and exchange one replacement plaque for the right one. Partner carried the old plaques, all of them marked with the symbol of the Rewriters in various colors of spray paint. As the afternoon began to end, they finally replaced the last marker. The guard at the front gate told them to just leave the old ones behind, and that they would get paid first thing in the morning.  
  
*****  
  
By the time they returned to the town, the sun was already beginning to set. Between the orange glow and shadows, the town grew more radiant with each passing minute. As they were preparing to cross a plaza back to their inn, Joel happened to notice a small outdoor cafe just down the road. He pointed it out to Natalie. "Want to get something to eat?"  
  
Natalie smiled and shrugged. "Why not?"  
  
They walked over to the cafe and sat down. A waiter came up and took their order. Bowing slightly, he returned to the inside of the cafe. Natalie looked around. The cafe was on the far end of town, separated from the town wall by a small, grassy park. Families of humans and Digimon were enjoying themselves in the fading light, some of them starting to head back home for dinner. The sounds of children playing on a swing set echoed through the plaza.  
  
The waiter came back out with their drinks and said the food would be out shortly. "I'll go bring it out," Natalie's partner said, then started to walk into the cafe.  
  
"I'll go with him," Red Leomon said, following him.  
  
Natalie stretched while Joel watched their partners walk off. "He certainly does care about you," he said.  
  
Natalie giggled. "That's just the way we are." She took off her watch and laid it on the table. "Oh, boy," she said, "talk about a tan line."  
  
Smiling, she held up her wrist for Joel to see. Between the flesh of her hand and arm was a very obvious pale strip. Joel smiled for a second, but then he noticed something else. A scar ran across Natalie's wrist. Normally, it would have been concealed by the watch strap, but now it was plainly visible. Joel couldn't help but stare.  
  
After a moment, Natalie wondered what was going on, then followed his eyes down to the scar. She chuckled. "Oh, this?" she said. "It's not what you're thinking."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
She looked down at the scar almost lovingly. "This is a symbol of the bond I share with Partner. It's nothing for me to be ashamed of. I don't try to hide it or anything, I've just always worn my watch there."  
  
"Oh," Joel said, a little confused.  
  
As Natalie was putting her watch back on, the two partners returned with the food. They were just about to sit down when a low, rumbling sound came from the distance. It also seemed to be getting closer with each passing moment. The four looked at each other. "What is that?" Natalie asked.  
  
Joel thought for a second. "Sounds almost like a..."  
  
"Motor," Partner said grimly.  
  
After a moment, Joel suddenly realized what the sound was. Jumping from his chair, he said, "Ah, *shit*!"  
  
At that same moment, a massive motorcycle roared over the town wall, landing in the center of the park. It skidded to a halt, leaving a trail of torn-up grass and dirt in its wake. A leather-clad spike-toed boot locked down the kickstand. The rider stretched back his helmeted head and gave a yell. "Ha, ha! Yeah, baby! Feels good to get out again!" He smiled broadly. "Time to raise some hell!"  
  
Joel was running across the park toward him, followed by Natalie and Red Leomon. "Beelzebumon! What the *hell* do you think you're doing?!"  
  
Beelzebumon shot a halting finger at Joel. "Shut up, Hutchinson! I've never had any quarrel with you, and I don't want to ruin my good mood by starting one now!"  
  
Red Leomon growled. "You've been content to stay in your fortress for five years. Why would you want to come out now?"  
  
Beelzebumon frowned. "Have you ever stayed in the same place for five years? Do you know how *boring* that gets? Torturing idiots who approach the front gates is entertaining only so long as there's a supply, and even though it's still regularly available, the fun's starting to diminish. Everyone's gotta get out now and then, even me." His face melted into a cold, menacing smirk. "So what if I get my kicks from the suffering of others? There's nothing any of you can do about it, so stand aside. Unless of course, you want to be *part* of my fun?"  
  
Joel set his jaw and whipped out his D-Cell. Holding it up, he yelled, "Matrix Evolution Activa--"  
  
He never got a chance to finish, as a brown flash blew past him and slammed into Beelzebumon, knocking the Dark Lord over his motorcycle and several meters away. The brown flash spun in mid-air, coming to a standstill just long enough for the group to see Partner facing Beelzebumon before going for another attack.  
  
Partner balled his fist and swung forward. Beelzebumon tried to dodge, but was just a touch too slow, and got caught under the chin. He staggered back, but stayed up. He pulled his twin-barreled gun out of its holster, but Partner kicked it away before it could even be leveled against him. He spun around again and side kicked Beelzebumon square in the chest, knocking him down again.  
  
Gasping for breath, Beelzebumon rolled away just before Partner could lay another blow on him. He got back to his feet and took a defensive stance. He was injured, but now that he was ready, he was able to block any blow that Partner threw his way. They continued to fight in the center of the park, while a gathered crowd stared on in amazement.  
  
Beelzebumon was trying to change his stance to offensive, sending out blows as Partner was recovering his attacks. Partner bobbed and weaved around and under the punches and kicks, and began to bounce around, constantly keeping his body in motion. He didn't notice a small stone sticking out of the ground until it was too late. His foot slipped on the stone, momentarily throwing him off-balance. Beelzebumon saw his chance. He reached out, intending to rip through Partner's chest, but the cloaked Digimon was able to regain his balance at the last second, and jumped back and away. All Beelzebumon was able to grab was Partner's cloak. As Partner spun away, the cloak was ripped off of him as the crowd gasped.  
  
A stunned silence was in the air. Everyone recognized him. His clothes, once a deep, dark blue were now all black. His hair had turned into a pale, platinum blond. The massive cape was gone, as was his mask. In its place sat a pair of round yellow sunglasses. He looked different from before, but everyone knew instantly who he was.  
  
The silence was broken as the first person to panic yelled out, "Vamdemon!"  
  
A riot broke out as the gathered crowd started running into whatever buildings were close by, trying to escape the park. Mothers tried in vain to keep track of their children as the waves of Digimon and humans separated them. People were breaking down doors and windows trying to get to safety, causing even more panic to the people inside the buildings as the news of Vamdemon's return was spread.  
  
In the park, only the explorers and the Dark Lord remained.  
  
Beelzebumon was still in shock. "It's you?" he asked, dumbfounded. "You're alive? You came back?" Vamdemon just silently glared at him. Beelzebumon continued, "If you came back to life, why didn't you come back to the fortress?! All this time we thought you had been absorbed! Why didn't you come back to us? With your leadership we could've risen again!"  
  
"I found a new purpose," Vamdemon said.  
  
"A new purpose?!" Beelzebumon yelled. "It was her, wasn't it? That bitch over there's your partner. She turned you against us! You're fighting against your own comrades!"  
  
"My only comrade is my partner."  
  
"How could you do this? How could you allow yourself to become so weak that you could be turned against us? I looked up to you. I saw you as a mentor. I WAS YOUR GOD DAMNED GENERAL! And *this*... *This* is how you repay all those years of loyalty?!"  
  
"You've spoken long enough," Vamdemon said, then started running towards his opponent. "Blood sword!" he yelled, and a red energy blade appeared in his outstretched hand, forming into a saber. Vamdemon grabbed the hilt with his other hand swung the sword at Beelzebumon.  
  
The Dark Lord came out of his stupor just in time to duck and roll away, reaching his pistol that lay on the ground. He aimed at Vamdemon and fired. "Double impact!"  
  
Vamdemon pivoted and brought the sword around, slicing both bullets in half before they came near him. Beelzebumon used the second he bought to leap over to his fallen motorcycle. Vamdemon was already on the move again, and Beelzebumon saw only one way he would able to escape. He aimed the pistol at Natalie and fired.  
  
Vamdemon saw the shot and knew he only had less than a second before the bullet impacted. He diverted from Beelzebumon and concentrated all his power on speed. He leapt in the air and swung the blade around, catching the bullet with the side of the blade like a bat and ricocheting it into a tree. He landed and shot a glance in Beelzebumon's direction, but the Dark Lord was already on his motorcycle and had cleared the town wall. Vamdemon let the blade disappear and sighed, "Damn."  
  
He picked up his cloak and swung it over his shoulder, but he didn't put it back on. Now that the sun had set, he didn't need the extra cover.  
  
And now that his identity was out, it was no good trying to hide his face. He silently walked back to Natalie. "We should go now."  
  
She nodded and quietly agreed, "Yes."  
  
Joel and Red Leomon could only join the townsfolk that were beginning to silently poke their heads out in curiosity. They first stopped to pick up Natalie's belongings, and Vamdemon waited outside while the innkeeper was only too glad to help Natalie carry her bag out.  
  
A silent crowd had begun to gather, and followed the pair to the edge of town. Before they left, Vamdemon halted and turned around, addressing the townsfolk. "I know perfectly well what I did in my previous life. The bloodstains are still on my soul and I don't think they'll ever leave. I do what I do now because I've been shown another path, and I've chosen to take it. I don't seek atonement or forgiveness, nor do I think I'm worthy of it. All I seek is to prove that the Dark Lord this world knew really did die five years ago. Nothing more."  
  
He started to turn away when there was a stirring in the crowd. A small human girl had broken free of her parents and walked up to him. He looked down at her curiously as she stared at him with equally curious eyes. He recognized her as being one of the children in the park from when Beelzebumon attacked. For a moment, they just stared at each other while everyone looked on. Vamdemon knelt to one knee, so he would be closer to her head level. His face took on a gentle smile as he looked at her questioningly.  
  
Her mouth moved up and down silently, until, finally, she was able to get a sound to come out. "Thank you," she peeped, then ran giggling back to her mother.  
  
Vamdemon smiled and spun around as he stood back up. He turned around and walked out of town beside Natalie. "It's a start," he said to her.  
  
She looked up at him and smirked in the light of the streetlamps. "You're blushing," she said.  
  
Vamdemon's smile fell. "No I'm not," he said. "There's not enough blood in me at the moment *to* blush."  
  
Natalie continued to smirk as they walked out of the town and into the darkness beyond. "Whatever."  
To be continued  
(End Episode 03)  
  
Next time: Take a trip down memory lane as we go back to two years ago to see how Vamdemon and Natalie first met, and see how the bond beyond mere partnership was formed between them. Things are gonna get a little angsty. Digimon Explorers Episode 04: DIGITAL GOTHIC! 


End file.
